He Who Eats First
About a hundred years from now, a higher administrative district called an Eyalet will be established above most sanjaks.
This is because the country has grown enormous, but it lacks the communication technology and administrative capability for the center to properly control it.
‘But that’s the distant future.’
For now, in many regions, the sanjak is the highest administrative district, and a sanjak-bey whose autonomy is recognized can wield absolute power within his own territory.
Simply put, they are men who live by their own high-and-mighty whims, who would not even bother to snort at the words of ordinary people.
“We greet Your Highness the Prince.”
“We greet you.”
Putting on airs is something one only does against an opponent worth matching.
The two sanjak-beys of Kenik and Lazistan, situated on either side of Trabzon, offered their greetings with deference.
“It is a pleasure to meet you all.”
It had been over two years since he became a sanjak-bey, but this was the first time he had actually seen these two.
Even though they were neighboring districts, it was still more than a day’s ride by horse.
‘There was no need for me to go through the trouble of visiting them, and it must have been awkward for them to come to me directly.’
Becoming friendly with a prince who had little chance of succession for no reason could lead to bloodshed later, yet Yusuf had already proven himself to be no pushover, so scheming for profit was not an option either.
Keeping a lukewarm distance was the best policy, and Yusuf had not gone out of his way to get close to them either.
‘When the Sultan calls, sanjak-beys are duty-bound to cough up troops without having to go through any hardship. That is the nature of a sanjak-bey’s role.’
The word sanjak itself meant “military banner” in Turkish, so the sanjak was an administrative unit, but also a military formation.
“You must have confirmed the orders sent by the Padishah, so how many troops can you mobilize immediately?”
The first to answer this question was Yagiz Pasha, the sanjak-bey of Kenik.
“At most, one thousand sipahis.”
Trabzon had a large number of troops because it was on the larger side for a sanjak, but for Kenik, a thousand men meant they had scraped together every last man.
Yusuf’s gaze turned to Hakan Pasha, the sanjak-bey of Lazistan.
“We can also mobilize up to one thousand.”
“I would welcome as many as possible, but Lazistan need not strain itself so.”
Lazistan was a region that bordered not only the Akkoyunlu but also Georgia.
It needed more defensive troops, and since the sipahis were also responsible for public order, too many forces could not be drawn away while refugees were pouring in from the Akkoyunlu direction.
Hakan replied with a much brighter face at Yusuf’s words.
“Then we shall provide eight hundred.”
“Then I shall take note of it accordingly.”
Yusuf answered with an amiable face, and the two thought him more flexible than expected.
Of course, had Yusuf been the type to accommodate others’ circumstances, he would not have engaged in incitement and fabrication within his own territory.
This time, he had good reason to do so.
‘If Erzurum becomes a battlefield, enemy forces might bypass and attack Ottoman lands.’
Trabzon could minimize damage because Bayburt lay in between, but Lazistan could be attacked directly.
If they had to shoulder such risk, how could he not spare them a mere two hundred men?
“The campaign is scheduled to depart from Gümüşhane in one month, so please do not be late.”
“Then we shall see you at that time.”
A month was a tight preparation period for war, not a journey, but a man bearing the title of Pasha could not fail to read the atmosphere.
They must have already finished basic preparations for supplies and troop mobilization; if they put their minds to it, they could assemble at Gümüşhane within a week.
In truth, the month-long period was not prepared for them.
It was for the Circassians.
A week after the meeting with the two sanjak-beys, roughly a dozen ships arrived in Trabzon.
They were ships sent to transport Circassian troops, and Yusuf broke into a grin at a familiar face.
“Asker, you acted like you’d never return, yet here we meet again?”
Asker, the leader of the Circassian quintet, replied with a light smile.
“It is an honor to meet you again. Those who can speak the language of the Empire are scarce, so it could not be helped. The others will also follow with the subsequent detachments.”
“You have all achieved much success.”
Serving as an interpreter meant sticking close to the commander, so it was indeed a success; behind Asker, who spoke with light modesty, a large man walked up.
The man offered greetings in an unintelligible tongue, and Asker immediately interpreted.
“This is Ivan of Kabardia.”
“A pleasure. I am Yusuf.”
At the word Kabardia, Yusuf looked at the man with interest.
“So you are a descendant of the great Inal.”
At Yusuf’s words, the other man’s expression immediately changed.
Decades ago, an outstanding ruler named Inal had emerged in Circassia, uniting it to establish a principality called Kabardia.
Of course, it had fragmented again after his death, but to the Circassian people, Inal was nearly a divine existence.
So much so that mountains, passes, and even streams across all of Circassia bore his name, and when great events like war occurred, they would rally as one under Inal’s name.
‘Simply put, it would be like the president of another country praising King Sejong the Great.’
Sometimes a single word is worth more than a hundred banquets.
Ivan burst into cheerful laughter and immediately responded in kind.
“That is correct. You said the same blood flows through us, so you are well informed.”
Look at that.
Judging by the favorable feelings streaming from his eyes, one would believe they were brothers separated in childhood.
“I know a thing or two. But more importantly, how many troops are coming?”
“Those who have arrived now are the advance party. The total force is one thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry.”
It was not as if they were defending their own country; sending fifteen hundred to another nation’s war was considerable.
‘They intend to firmly tie themselves to the Ottomans with this opportunity. Well, they don’t have many alternatives right now.’
The only surrounding nations were fragmented Georgia and nomads who viewed Circassia as nothing more than tasty plunder.
Whatever the reason, it was a welcome development.
“I hope this affair leads to deeper ties with the Empire.”
Circassia was sincere insofar as it could become his strength.
The final piece, Circassia, had completed its joining.
∗ ∗ ∗
Before leaving Trabzon Castle, he had received quite indifferent farewells from Fatima and Aisha.
They had told him not to overdo it and to be careful, so anyone listening would think he was going on a business trip abroad rather than to war.
Hearing this farewell, he could once again feel that this was his first war, and a beginning.
‘That’s just how an Ottoman prince is.’
To seize the throne of the Sultan, he had to build military merits and kill his brothers; it was his fate to live his entire life in war and battle.
By now, he could accept this much, and Yusuf led his soldiers toward Gümüşhane.
Gümüşhane was one of the kazas belonging to Trabzon, meaning “House of Silver,” because there was a silver mine nearby.
‘Speaking of silver mines reminds me of the cupellation method.’
It is a method of extracting pure silver from lead-containing silver ore by using the difference in melting points between silver and lead.
It was invented in Joseon in the early 16th century, but the suzerain state Joseon never properly utilized it; instead, Japan, which received the technology, became the world’s third-largest silver producer thanks to it.
It was indeed an innovative technology, given that most nations were using primitive methods of burning ore and picking out silver.
‘But there’s nowhere to use it in a big way right now.’
There was no massive silver mine, and with war imminent, he had no mental energy to spare for it.
It was a technology suitable for when he became Sultan and expanded the monetary economy later.
Yusuf looked over the assembled forces from atop a hill.
One thousand eight hundred sipahis from Kenik and Lazistan, and one thousand five hundred troops from Circassia.
Combined with the two thousand cavalry gathered from Trabzon, the elite troops alone numbered five thousand three hundred.
‘And this isn’t the end of it.’
The Ottoman military system included infantry called azabs, meaning young men.
In frontier regions, one young man had to be provided as an azab for every twenty to thirty households, while the remaining men had to provide economic support.
As irregulars, they were infantry who wielded various weapons, from polearms with assorted blades attached to long shafts, to maces, bows, and sabers; there were also two thousand such azabs.
“A magnificent sight.”
With over seven thousand troops, the yurts they had erected formed a village of considerable size.
Yurt is the Turkish word for the portable dwelling used by nomads; similar to the Mongol ger, in Europe the ger was called a yurt.
Anyway, among those gathered, five hundred cavalry armed with mail armor bestowed by the Sultan and lances as long as those used by pole vaulters stood out prominently.
Yusuf fiddled with the matchlock in his hand.
‘The Sultan favors me more than I thought. To think he would give me something like this.’
The Ottomans had already used them extensively in Hungary, so it was no surprise that an empire deeply interested in adopting gunpowder weapons possessed them.
The fact that he had been given two, including a spare, was significant.
‘He probably means for me not to die waving a sword around at the front lines for no reason.’
He had provided gunpowder as well, but he could not possibly expect Yusuf to perform like a sharpshooter with a body that could barely withstand the recoil.
This was a Sultan who would not even grant a tomb to his own dead son, so this level of favor was quite astonishing.
‘Well, it could also mean I should kill myself cleanly with this if I’m about to be captured.’
This being the Ottoman dynasty, the latter possibility seemed more likely.
Yusuf laughed it off and asked Arda, who had approached him.
“Is everyone assembled?”
“Yes, we are only waiting for you, Sanjak-Bey.”
Riding his horse, Yusuf entered the meeting hall prepared within Gümüşhane and sat in the seat of honor, looking around.
Commanders including Ivan from Circassia, the two sanjak-beys, and the subashis who would command the sipahis.
He could not sense a single trace of fear from those facing war.
‘I felt it during Burqa as well, but people of this era truly cannot be underestimated.’
How could one underestimate men who could throw away not only their families’ lives but their own as well?
Fighting alongside such men made him feel reassured, and Yusuf opened his mouth in a firm voice.
“You must have all heard the rumors that Ismail, who leads the Shia, is severely oppressing us Sunnis. I hereby declare a jihad to save our brothers in faith.”
Jihad, meaning struggle, is a word that encompasses various meanings, but in this case it corresponded to holy war.
At Yusuf’s declaration, everyone nodded heavily.
Because the rumors coming in through the refugees were no minor matter.
“We shall meet the enemy in Erzurum, achieve victory, and prove that Allah’s will is with us.”
“Then how do you intend to take Bayburt and Erzurum?”
Yusuf answered as if he were being asked something obvious.
“We are all brothers in the same faith; shouldn’t we resolve this through dialogue first?”
∗ ∗ ∗
-If you do not open the city gates immediately and respond to dialogue, Allah’s stern judgment shall descend upon Bayburt!
-Lord of the city, come out immediately and receive your brother in faith!
Watching the thousands of troops surrounding Bayburt and those attempting dialogue in thunderous voices, Yusuf nodded.
“As expected, if one is civilized, one must resolve things through dialogue.”
If this sounds like a threat, you are mistaken.
This is the Ottoman way of dialogue.
∗ ∗ ∗
The distance between Gumushane and Bayburt was merely about 60km.
It was a place close enough to reach in a day and a half on horseback, and unless Bayburt was a city made up entirely of blind people, there was no way they could be unaware that troops were assembling in Gumushane.
Basic defensive preparations would all be complete by now, so leading only cavalry to launch a surprise attack would have little meaning, and Yusuf led his troops in a slow march.
60km might feel close, but infantry marching speed was about 3–4km per hour, and for infantry, moving 15km in a day was considered a great deal.
Of course they could move more than this, but it was not a situation where every moment counted, and there was no need to do something that would diminish combat strength.
Thus, the time taken to surround Bayburt was five days.
-Lord of the city, open the gates immediately and receive your brothers in faith!
“How disappointing. A brother in faith has come from afar, yet they will not come out to meet me.”
At Yusuf’s brazen words, Hakan, the Sanjak-bey of Lazistan, burst into laughter.
“Seeing Your Highness in person, perhaps he is so overcome with emotion that his body has frozen stiff? He will open the gates and receive us soon.”
“I too believe that will be the case.”
If this passionate heart is not reciprocated, I might just set Bayburt ablaze.
‘Since siege weapons are scarce, I will have to brace for a certain degree of troop losses.’
Of course, he might have to seize it by force, but he had not come empty-handed.
There were basics such as ladders, battering rams, and catapults, but considering it was already an era where cannons were active, it was like wielding a bronze sword in the Iron Age.
Of course, unlike Europe, which had been using cannons for some time, the Middle East was not yet at the stage of employing gunpowder weapons, and the walls before him remained medieval walls that were thin but tall.
‘Meaning if I had only brought siege cannons, I could smash them with ease.’
It was vexing to know how useful they were yet be unable to use them, because the Ottoman Empire’s artillery belonged only to the Kapikulu, the central army.
There was no point lamenting what he lacked, and he had prepared countermeasures of his own, but…
‘If possible, it would be a waste to use them here, so I would prefer if they just opened the gates and came out.’
While thinking this, Hakan, who had been glancing at him from the side, cautiously asked.
“Your Highness, do you intend to prohibit plundering this time as well?”
Yusuf answered without hesitation.
“If they surrender willingly, plundering is prohibited.”
The road here had been smooth without any attacks, but stopping soldiers from plundering the surrounding households had been more difficult.
The armies of this era were worse than locust swarms, which were considered natural disasters.
‘At least locusts do not commit murder or rape as they go about.’
Even so, it would be problematic to think of plundering as a war crime.
The Geneva Conventions defining war crimes would not appear for another 300 years, and Rousseau, who provided the ideological foundation, would not be born for another 200.
In this era, plundering served to procure supplies needed for war locally and to suppress the discontent that arose among soldiers on campaign.
Even Napoleon achieved tremendous speeds of advance with plans to plunder for provisions.
In short, one had to approach this from a tactical concept rather than an emotional one, and Yusuf had not prohibited plundering from a humanitarian perspective.
“This land will now become the Empire’s territory, and we must receive the help of those living here to stop the Shia, so it cannot be helped. I shall provide separate monetary compensation, so please see to it that your men are well pacified.”
Even with compensation provided, it would not be as good as plundering directly, so it was a regrettable but sufficiently understandable choice.
Controlling soldiers full of fighting spirit who intended to fatten their purses through war was no easy task, but…
“If any disgraceful incidents occur and we must stand before Allah in shame, I believe I shall be quite angry, so I trust you will control them well.”
“Of course!”
“Do not worry!”
At Yusuf’s threat-laced request, the commanders eagerly voiced their agreement.
The people of the Empire had felt through Burka, and the Circassians through Ayse, just how persistent and vicious Yusuf could be, so it did not feel like empty words.
In the atmosphere that had turned icy in an instant, Yagiz, the Sanjak-bey of Kenik, threw in a joke.
“I rather wish they would not surrender.”
“Haha, then we could plunder legitimately, which would be nice.”
Though spoken as a joke, the commanders made slightly intrigued faces.
The Ottomans had traditionally permitted three days of plunder upon a successful attack, so rather than struggling to stop the soldiers from plundering, they felt it would be better to simply wage a proper siege battle.
Sensing this change in atmosphere, Yusuf merely smirked.
The gates of Bayburt had opened, and an envoy bearing a white flag had emerged.
“Because Yagiz Pasha said such things, they surrender immediately? I wonder if I should ask for the same thing in Erzurum as well.”
“Haha, they must have been listening to us.”
Yusuf cracked a joke, and responding words poured out, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere.
While exchanging light banter, the envoy bearing the white flag arrived before the commander, surrounded by soldiers.
The envoy dismounted and showed courtesy to Yusuf.
“I greet the Prince of the Empire.”
“Yes, are you ready to open the gates and receive us? I believe we have already given ample time.”
Despite the overbearing question, the envoy opened his mouth without fear.
“Aptum Bey, lord of Bayburt, asks the reason you have come thus despite long friendship.”
Merchants traveling through the White Sheep dynasty to reach Trabzon had to pass through Bayburt, so even as a different country, relations were not bad.
It might look as though a neighbor they had gotten along with reasonably well had come over with a knife.
“If you have ears, you must have heard of the atrocities committed by the Shia. We have come to help you, rather.”
“But that is merely a rumor…”
“Have you ever seen smoke rise from a chimney without fire? To dismiss it as mere rumor is absurd.”
How hard it had been to make that smoke rise from the chimney, yet to treat it as a mere rumor was disappointing.
Besides, it was not completely false.
It was merely slightly exaggerated. Only slightly, like calling a cat a tiger.
“You have only two choices. Open the gates and receive your brothers in faith, or receive punishment for the sin of obstructing jihad.”
“…Allah shall not forgive you.”
At the envoy’s curse, Yusuf raised one corner of his mouth.
“Allah always stands beside the victor.”
To still not know that was disappointing.
“I shall tell you once more. This is the last opportunity given to you. If you open the gates now, we shall treat you as brothers in faith. Go back and tell your master.”
At Yusuf’s words, the envoy returned powerlessly, and shortly after, Bayburt’s gates opened.
‘As expected, true civilized people can solve problems through dialogue.’
Of course, with a weapon gripped in one hand, one can solve even more problems.
∗ ∗ ∗
Entering the city under the escort of troops with weapons sharply raised, Yusuf felt the gazes of people filled with fear and worry.
Since it was not an emotion that could be resolved with a few words anyway, he did not pay it much mind, and upon entering the center, he could see disarmed troops and a middle-aged man standing proudly before them.
“Are you Aptum Bey?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Yusuf looked at Aptum as if intrigued.
Even though it had ended merely with surrender without a siege battle, strictly speaking, the other party was a loser since he had lost the land he governed.
Yet he stood so proudly he looked like a victor.
“You seem rather composed for someone who lost his territory?”
“What importance is such a position? I am satisfied if I have reduced by even one the number of people groaning in pain.”
“Hooh, is that so?”
At Aptum’s calm words, the soldiers and those eavesdropping showed moved expressions.
‘I will need Aptum’s help anyway.’
Bayburt was a point through which supplies sent from Trabzon passed, so it needed to be reinforced with defensive facilities.
Securing Bayburt’s cooperation was essential with limited troops and people, and receiving help from the existing ruler was best for this.
“Tarik Subashi.”
“Command me.”
To Tarik, subashi of Gumushane, Yusuf gave an order.
“I shall assign two subashis and five hundred soldiers. With Aptum’s help, govern this place.”
“Understood.”
After turning his gaze from Tarik, who bowed to receive the order, Yusuf looked at Aptum.
“Aptum, are you willing to help?”
“If Your Highness shows mercy to us, I shall do my utmost to assist.”
“Good. If you keep faith, my army shall not harm your people.”
“Thank you.”
Approaching Aptum, who bowed his head with a grateful face, Yusuf patted his shoulder and spoke in a low voice.
“It was a passable performance, but you should have been more careful with your eyes.”
That he cared more for his people than his own position? Nonsense.
If he truly thought that, he should not have watched the reactions of those around him.
‘He must have meant to preserve his influence with empty flattery, but wagging one’s tongue is my specialty.’
Under Yusuf’s gaze, which seemed to see straight through him, Aptum went rigid like a mouse before a snake.
Yusuf gave a small laugh and spoke to Aptum, who was breaking out in a cold sweat.
“To be honest, whether you were being hypocritical or whether you were, however shallowly, sincere does not matter to me. I would simply prefer that you not give me reason to be disappointed.”
“…I understand.”
As Aptum slowly nodded, Yusuf patted his shoulder once more and turned away.
After a warning like this, he would cooperate well enough on his own.
“Talip, if he tries anything foolish, kill him without delay.”
“Understood.”
One must never trust people too easily.
The occupation of Bayburt was complete.
∗ ∗ ∗
“Your Highness, Bayburt was easily occupied, but Erzurum will not be so simple.”
“I know. Unlike this place, it will not surrender so easily.”
Erzurum was a key defensive point, and even within Anatolia it was famous for its cold and heavy snowfall.
It was already spring, but the season was still cold, and that could only be a burden for the side laying siege.
Naturally, hoping that Erzurum, which held the relative advantage, would raise a white flag and surrender was far too much to expect.
‘But if I waited for the weather to warm up just to make the siege a bit easier, I might end up facing the Safavid army before I even take it.’
If that happened, he would have to retreat after sacrificing men in a fruitless siege.
For Yusuf, on whom so much depended in this war, that would be the worst possible outcome, and choosing this timing had been unavoidable.
“Still, it is not as though there is no way.”
He had not raised an army simply trusting that, since his Luck was 10, things would conveniently work themselves out. He had devised a solution of his own.
After considering Yusuf’s confident manner for a moment, Yagiz asked,
“Does it perhaps have something to do with those strange heaps of earth you dragged here in such quantities using camels?”
At the question, Yusuf grinned broadly.
“You will likely see something interesting.”
It was time to confirm the results created with Hassan’s blood and sweat.
∗ ∗ ∗
People, after all, depended on how they were used.
Ordinarily, one might think it best to have no treacherous flatterers and to keep only loyal retainers at one’s side, but there were times when a sycophant who moved like the tongue in one’s own mouth was more necessary than a loyal subject who found fault with everything in the name of frank counsel.
Even types like Aptum, whose mind worked quickly enough to scheme from the very beginning and nearly get his wrist chopped off, had their advantages.
‘He values his own life terribly much, so as long as I keep a blade to his throat, there’s nothing to worry about.’
A political version of Hassan, perhaps?
It meant he was easy to make use of, and to Yusuf, a man like Aptum was preferable.
‘If he had been someone whose thoughts I couldn’t read, I would have kept worrying even with him behind me. This is better.’
He was someone Talip, a subashi, could sufficiently manage by the scruff of the neck, and Yusuf could turn his gaze toward Erzurum without concern.
On the way to Erzurum, Yusuf keenly realized why armies, regardless of East or West, ancient or modern, did not move in winter.
“It’s insanely cold.”
Even though spring had already come, snow still remained intact all over the mountains, and the distant peaks were still blanketed in white like eternal snow.
Perhaps because he had become too accustomed to life in Trabzon, which was cool all year round but never dropped below freezing, the cold weather was an ordeal.
On top of that, the roads were not properly maintained, causing the marching column to stretch longer and longer, and there was one more thing grating on his nerves.
“Your Highness, scouts again.”
“Leave them be. Capturing one or two will change nothing anyway. Just make certain we are properly prepared for any surprise attack.”
The scouts assigned to reconnaissance and the scouts seemingly sent from Erzurum kept running into one another.
Since they fled as soon as they saw one another’s faces, there had been no bloody clashes yet, but it was still more than a little irritating.
Of course, there were things he could tell just from the way the enemy employed scouts.
‘They have no intention of surrendering meekly, and Erzurum’s commander is no easy opponent.’
The distance between Bayburt and Erzurum was over 100 kilometers.
Using scouts in such a dense net over that distance meant that the enemy had planned it in advance and put it into operation before he even arrived at Bayburt.
Most likely, everything from the process by which Bayburt had been occupied had reached the other side.
“Well, it doesn’t matter.”
No matter how capable the commander was, all he could do was either look for an opening and launch a surprise attack, or shut himself inside the fortress.
As long as this side was also deploying scouts in a dense net, no obvious ambush would come, and as expected, the movement itself went smoothly.
Because all the defenders had been taken to the fortress of Erzurum, the villages along the road opened their gates without resistance, and Yusuf continued advancing while leaving some garrison troops behind.
By the time they arrived at Erzurum like this, ten days had passed.
“So that is the fortress of Erzurum. It will not be easy to capture.”
On the walls of the fortress of Erzurum, built atop a hill, eight towers rose high, and soldiers stood strict watch atop walls more than two meters thick.
It looked so worthy of the name fortress that comparing Bayburt to it would be embarrassing.
Hakan agreed with Yusuf’s assessment.
“A fortress that has held its place for so long always has a reason for doing so.”
The fortress of Erzurum had been built over a thousand years ago, during the reign of the Eastern Roman emperor Theodosius II, and had been called Theodosiopolis.
Over that time, it had suffered countless foreign invasions and had been severely destroyed whenever the city changed hands, but each time it had been rebuilt anew.
That meant it had that much value in existing.
“First, let us offer them a chance to surrender.”
At a glance, they did not seem inclined to surrender, but calling for surrender was a basic procedure.
At Yusuf’s command, one cavalryman approached the gate, and as if they had been waiting, the gate opened.
A short while later, when the gate opened again, he received the result he had expected.
—You pig-like bastards! Leave this place at once before Allah’s wrath falls upon you.
Because pigs were considered impure creatures in Islam, “pig” ranked among the highest insults.
One could tell as much just by looking at how the faces of the commanders who passed the letter around immediately turned red with anger.
‘What’s so insulting about being called a pig?’
For Yusuf, who had memories of a country where “pig” could even be used as a term of endearment, it had no effect at all.
Yusuf thought coldly.
It did not particularly resonate with him, but despite hurling the supposedly dreadful insult of “pig,” the cavalryman he had sent as envoy had returned unharmed.
The cavalryman, who had been sent back tightly bound to his horse, wore a humiliated expression, but considering that serving as an envoy was a job done with one’s neck half on the line, it was only a minor venting of anger.
‘This much is not an especially hardline response. There is still room for them to surrender.’
Of course, they would not surrender to warnings alone as Bayburt had, and Yusuf spoke to the commanders looking at him.
“Since we have received such a welcome, we should properly greet the master of this place in return.”
After all, to exchange proper greetings with another party, one ought to meet their eyes.
“Requisition the people nearby.”
If they were going to talk, should they not stand at the same height?
If the other side had no intention of coming down, then he had no choice but to go up himself.
∗ ∗ ∗
The inside of the fortress of Erzurum was filled with tension.
Erzurum was a military key point, and in countless wars it had been one of the main battlefields, but until now the Ottomans had mainly extended their reach into Europe, leaving this place in a long peace.
It had been an unusually long period of peace, but…
‘The end of that peace is not far off either.’
No matter that Erzurum was built on a plateau higher than most mountain peaks, it was not completely cut off from news.
He knew very well that the new king who had occupied Tabriz was greedily swallowing up the former territories of the Aq Qoyunlu.
He also knew that this military key point would be targeted.
But he had not expected the empire to covet this place.
“Ahun! Is the enemy still doing the same?”
“They are using the people they requisitioned from the surrounding area to tear down stone buildings.”
“Are they trying to procure stones for trebuchets? I cannot tell what they are thinking.”
It was not that he felt any regret for the area outside the fortress being devastated.
Anything outside, unprotected by the walls, was no different from an abandoned piece, and the supplies had already been moved inside.
He simply could not understand the action itself.
“They cannot be doing such a thing merely to vent their anger.”
Unless the enemy commander was a fool, he could not be unaware that the longer this dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became for the besieging army. There had to be a reason for such actions, but Abadan could not guess what it was.
If they were procuring stones for trebuchets, they had not even begun assembling the trebuchets yet.
Since the enemy was moving outside the range of his predictions, his worries only deepened for no reason.
“What is the mood inside the fortress?”
“Many people are uneasy. There is even talk going around that surrendering would be better than losing in a siege.”
At Ahun’s words, Abadan gave a bitter smile.
“It cannot be helped that they are afraid.”
Traditionally, once a battering ram struck the gate, the lives and property of the defenders could no longer be protected, and the people of a fallen city had to choose between being plundered and being slaughtered.
“In particular, those who have heard the bad rumors about Shah Ismail are thinking it would be better to surrender to the empire instead.”
“They are all groundless rumors.”
He had sent people to Tabriz himself and confirmed the facts.
However, no matter how much he dismissed them as false rumors, far too many people were convinced that the already widespread rumors were true.
Abadan let out a small sigh.
‘This is not easy.’
After hearing that imperial soldiers were gathering in Gümüşhane, he had hastily begun preparing to defend the fortress, but there were many shortcomings.
On top of that, anxious rumors were circulating inside, so as the commander, he could only feel frustrated.
If a little more unease were stirred up here, they might not be able to hold out for long.
“Lord Abadan, would it not be better simply to surrender? There is no need for us to fight them for Shah Ismail, is there?”
As Ahun said, he was not Ismail’s vassal.
Whether it was the imperial prince before his eyes or Ismail’s army that would soon arrive, the fact that they would have to surrender was the same either way.
However, Abadan had his reasons for siding with Ismail.
“Ahun, if those who have come pressing right up to our gates and Ismail’s army were to fight, who do you think would win? I do not believe Ismail’s side would.”
Those men had twice defeated a great army of nearly thirty thousand with a force of only seven thousand. There was no way they would lose to a prince who had not even finished puberty.
If they surrendered and those men were then defeated, Erzurum would surely be reduced to a sea of flames.
“I would rather they showed me something. Something that would let me entrust Erzurum to them with confidence.”
Abadan truly thought so, and he observed Yusuf’s army every day. Yusuf answered those expectations.
On one side of Erzurum, a hill began to rise.
∗ ∗ ∗
High walls were an extremely favorable condition for the defenders.
To overcome them, one built siege towers as tall as the enemy walls, or piled up mountains of earth.
‘Both of those are difficult for me to use.’
A siege tower made of wood and iron had to be constructed to match the height of the enemy walls, and its sheer size made it difficult to operate.
Especially because its main material was wood, which made it vulnerable to fire attacks.
Earthen mounds were no easy matter either. Anyone who had played with sand would know that earth, once piled up, collapsed more easily than one might expect.
On top of that, to pile it high meant literally building a mountain, which required an enormous amount of soil.
‘But if I have cement, the story changes.’
Yusuf looked at the result and nodded in satisfaction.
“Not bad.”
The gray hill, made by mixing stones dragged in from the surroundings with concrete, was closer to a steep stone pillar.
The commanders who had watched the process with their own eyes also stared at it with wonder.
“I thought you had merely mixed it with lumps of lime, but it is incredibly solid. It looks like a giant stone mountain.”
A commander who had lightly tapped it with his scabbard exclaimed in admiration.
“It would be good to use when building fortifications as well.”
“Indeed, with just this, the difficulty would be greatly reduced.”
Building fortifications was not easy.
Castles made by stacking stone required the skill to cut and pile stones according to the desired shape, and walls made of brick were no simple matter either, since one had to fire an enormous number of bricks.
However, if one had cement to firmly fill the gaps between stones, even building a castle would not be too difficult.
“They were quite flustered as well. One of them met my eyes and jumped in fright.”
Ivan, the commander of the Circassians, burst into hearty laughter.
The hill, raised far faster and more easily than an earthen mound, was tall enough for the inside of the walls to be clearly visible.
Yusuf wore a mischievous smile as he looked at the trebuchet being assembled atop the hill, which could hardly be called anything other than a lump of concrete.
“I hope they enjoy my belated greeting.”
A moment later, a stone was launched from the trebuchet, a type of catapult that used the principle of leverage, and screams and shouts erupted from within the fortress.
“For merely knocking on the door, they’re reacting rather strongly.”
Was the knock a bit too loud?
As Yusuf watched the trebuchets fire as soon as they were ready, Yagiz asked him,
“Your Highness, what will you do if they still refuse to surrender after this?”
It was not easy to break down a wall with trebuchets, so as Yagiz said, they could refuse to surrender and continue holding out.
If they went that far, there was no helping it.
“Then we’ll have to build another wall around the fortress.”
Let’s see how long they can hold out.
∗ ∗ ∗
“Your Highness, they are surrendering! They say the lord of the castle was hit by the trebuchet and gravely wounded!”
No wonder it had seemed so noisy.